Bomb loading press



17, F Q WlLSON BOMB LOADING PRESS x Filed Nov. 4, 1942v 2 Sheets-Sheet l I l o b\ Ill INVENTOR 0 BY M7500 ATTORNEYS April 17, 1945. F. c. WILSON BOMB LOADING PRESS AFiled Nov. 4, 1942 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dINVENTOR aan? Zoz ATTO R N EY? `whereby to obtain simplicity and economy in Patented Apr. 17, 1945 UN 1 TED STATE-s; PATENT oFfFicE;

BQMBLDADING PRESS Frank G. Wilson, Arcade, N. Y.' v app1impn-iroiemter 4, 1942, Serial' No 464,541 roiaims. (C1. afs- 20) This invention 4relates .tomprovements in, hydraulic presses; and the f eaturesof the ini/enf tion, although not necessarily so limited, may be.` availed ofzto particular advantagein connection With theloading of incendiary bombs The loading of. an incendiary bomb, as Qrdinarily practiced, is carried out in stages, usual,- ly ve, a predetermined amount of; ther-mite being introduced into the bomb casing in each oi thefrst four stages andthe powder employed ato. ignite t-he -thermite being introduced into the casing in the final stage. After each .charge is introduced; it is compressed, being subjected` .to a .pressure of the order of twenty thousand pounds; and" after y the final compressing operar tion the firing mechanism is secured finiplacei In the charging and compressing operationssdef scribed it is essential, in order :to insure..properA functioning `of the bomb and of, the firing mech.- anism, that the charges be subjected to substan .tially the same predetermined pressure in each stage and that upon completionV .of the charging and compressing operation, the level of the :final charge (the ignition cha-rse) bezat, or within close tolcranceof, -apredeterminedidistance vfrom Athe open end of thecasing.

One object of the present invention is to 'prio-v vide a press which will enable't-he .charging of. incendiary bombs in 'theA manner describedfand the 'performance of generally similar operations, accurately and expeditiously, this obiiect contorno plating `a press which is so `ydesigned :that any deviation wit-h respect tothe normal o r standard in the volume of any charge after completion of the compressing operation will be indicated= soias to enable a correction in subseouentxcharges to compensate for such deviation.

A further object is to provide Aan indicating device for the purpose described which "may be employed in connection with .presses .of standard desie11,-either as an -originalppart .oi the press or as an attachment. w i

A still`:further=,object is to provide a novelv design and arrangement of theparts .of the press,

construction and vaccuracy and 'speed inoperation. Y The invention is illustrated in the Vaccompanying drawings lin which: i v

Figure d is a perspective View of a-press em bodying the features ofthe invention. y

Figure 2 is anenlarged fragmentary view, `partiazlly irrsectionand partially in. elevation.- I' 'l Figure-3 .is a. :horizontalsection:taken along line 3- 3 oi Figure f2.A f

all.

Fierro s, is o diagrammatic illustraties O .f s bombf omitho: elements employed; in compressing the iholm e1 powder Chaises Figure .5 is a.. top View ofthe dual hdlde? in' which tri bomb oasingsaro claimeddilrios its oompressioeorerotions Figure -6- is` on enlarged fragmentary .Section The press, as illustrated, includes a hydraulic.

Cylinder lo. r11- 1mois mosntod in o `fiatoowoIk -l l 'above a' table l2) the How of actuating 'fluid'to holders so. that either? lloldormoy bo mov-od Yeither tor a position beneath the ram |3 .or lf ar enough toene side thereof so that lille GOmnrliOn holder may be moved to such position.

Each holder is adapted .tosup'port twocajsings morosos Sido-oy-Side-.sd tions ons, es illus.- trated. .comprises mating sections 2l and. 22 the former beingfrxed to the baseand having athinge c cnnefction`"23V (Figure 5)l at its rear `edge thelatter. Opposing ,channels 24 in ,the holder sections `.aoco inrit-1odate .the bomb' CaSiIflgS. In order toclamp -the casings in the holder the sec',- tionl 22 carries a locking element .25. A rodl pivotally connects the latter to lugsl 2,1 on the section, a handle 28 beine provided .to enable the locking element to be swung vto a position y to'l in which rollers 29: engage and move behind lat: eral extensions 30'(Figli1fos5 and 6) formed or provided on the section 2l, each roller 2,9 v`being carried in a housing 3| which v is gpiyotally mounted upon a pin 32 and which may be adiustod to., ondrlooked in, various ansular positions on the pin by screws 33 and 34.' Provision isfthus made-for causing the rollers t29 to engage the extensions 30 in a. manner which will insure proper gripping of the casings and locking of the sec-v tions.` To unlock the sections ofA the holder'it is onlynecessary to swing the element 25 in a direction which will cause the rollersl 29,130 move from behind the projections, 3 8. Thereupon the se c' the casingsinthe loadingoperations. Preferably duced into each casing and the succeeding compressing operation carried out with shorter tamping elements. The procedure described is illustrated in Figure 4 in connection with 'a single casing wherein the charges of a loaded casing are indicated at 35, the space remaining at the upper end of the casing being intended to accommodate a suitable firing mechanism.

The tamping elements are in the form of plungers and carry cross-pins l31 at their upper ends to facilitate their withdrawal from the cas` ings after the compressing operations. At their lower ends those of the elements employed in connection with the thermite charges preferably are formed or provided with rib-like extensions 38 inv order that the separate charges will interlock with one another in such a manner as to promote combustion. l

In the operation of the press, casings to be loaded are arranged in one of the holders l1 or I 8, as the case may be, and after they are locked in place the required charge is introduced into each, the proper tamping elements are inserted and the holder in them moved to a position'under the ram. The latter is then actuated to compress the charges in the casings, a suitable gauge 39 indicating continuously the pressure to which said charges are subjected by the tamping elements. When the charges have been compressed to the desired degree the pressure may be released and the ram restored to its original position. holder may then be moved to one side to enable removal of the tamping elements, the introduction of the new charges and the substitution of shorter tamping elements for the original elements.

The use of a pair of holders in the manner il' lustrated has the advantage that two operators may employ the same ram without interfering with one another, one operator employing'the ram while the other is performing the preparatory operations which precede the use of the ram. In this connection it will be noted that the ram I3 is formed or provided with a head 40 which is enlarged with respect to the ram body, the size of the head being determined by the size of the bomb casings and the distance that they are space apart in the holders. In accordance with the invention, means is provided whereby upon completion of the loading of each casing, the upper or exposed surface of the composite charge will be located at, or within a xed tolerance of, a predetermined distance from the open end of the casing so as to insure proper functioning of the firing mechanism which is employed in Iconnection with the bomb. For this purpose, an indicating device 4I is employed. .The said device includes a tubular housing 42 (Figure 2) which is carried by a cross-bar 43 of the framework of the press. The bore of the housing is enlarged at its upper and lower ends to accommodate bearing sleeves 44 and 45. A rod 46 is mounted in said sleeves, the latter spacing the rod from the walls of the housing and permitting Thel its free axial movement parallel to the path traversed by the ram.

A sleeve 41 on the upper end of the rod 46 is adjustable lengthwise of the rod and may be secured in the desired position by a set screw 48, The latter is carried by an enlarged or head portion 49 of the sleeve while a reduced or body portion 50 thereof extends into the upper enlarged end of the bore of the housing, the diameter of the reduced or body portion being less than the enlarged portion of the bore so as to avoid frictional contact between the sleeve and the housing. Spaced annular marks 5l are scored or otherwise formed in, or provided on, the body portion of the sleeve. At its lower end the rod 46 carries an arm 52 which is adjustably secured in the desired position by the set screws 53. The said arm is forked at its outer end to lightly engage opposite sides of the ram body and is formed on its under side with a rounded projection 54 to provide point contact with the top of the head 4l).l It will thus be apparent that as the ram moves up and down between the limits of its range of movement, the rod 46 will move between corresponding limits, the force of gravity causing the projection 54 on the arm `52 to maintain constant contact with the head of the ram.

The marks 5| cooperate with the top beveled edge 55 of the housing 42 to indicate the level of the charge in Aeach .casing in the holder when it has been subjected to the required pressure, that is upon completion of a working stroke of the ram. Assuming, for example, that the gauge 39 indicates that the charges in the casings have been subjected to such pressure, then if the top edge of the housing 42 is located between the two score marks, the level of the compressed charges lies within the` permissible tolerance range and no compensation need be `made in subsequent operations. If, however, the top edge of the housing 42 is located above the upper score mark 5I when the proper pressure is indicated upon the gauge, this signies that the volume of the compressed charges is less than prescribed and additional material must be introduced in subsequent charges by way of compensation, When the top edge of the housingV 42 is located below the lower score mark when the prescribed pressure has been reached, this indicates that the volume of the compressed charges is greater than called for and in subsequent operations this may be compensated by reh ducing Vthe amount of material in the charges, it being noted in this connection that a -portion of the upper end of the housing 42 is cut away as indicated at 55 in order that the exact location and the relative positions of both score marks can be observed at all times, although one or both of said marks may at certain times be located below the beveled edge 55.

It will thus be apparent that the press described has the advantage that the separate charges employed in loading a bomb may all be compressed to the same degree while at the same time the loading operations may be sc conducted that the level of the composite charge may be accurately controlled.A Although the press is described in connection with the loading of incendiary bombs, it is understood, of course, that this is by way of example only, the press being available fory use in connection with various operations which call for the movement of the ram to a predetermined limit in its working stroke but wherein the actual limit is determined by the applied pressure. In such cases the position of the rod 46 also corresponds to the actual position of the ram and, hence, the relation of such position with respect to a predetermined, correct, position will be indicated.

I claim as my invention:

l. An indicating device for a press adapted to be employed in connection with operations which call for movement of the ram toa predetermined limit in its working stro-ke but wherein a predetermined applied pressure determines the actual limit, said device including a tubular housing having a reference portion, an element which is movable lengthwise in Said housing, an adjustable sleeve on said element, said sleeve bearing limit marks, and an arm carried by said element which is engageable with said ram, whereby as said element follows the movement of said ram, the relation of said marks with respect to said reference portion indicates the relation of the actual position of the ram with -respect to the correct predetermined position.

2. An indicating device for a press adapted to be employed in connection with operations which call for movement of the ram to a predetermined limit in its working stroke but wherein a predetermined applied pressure determines the actual limit, said device including a tubular housing, the upper end of which is formed to provide a reference edge, an element which is movable lengthwise in said housing, an adjustable sleeve on the upper end of said element, said sleeve bearing spaced limit marks, and an arm carried by the lower end of said element, said arm seating on said ram and having a forked outer end which is engageable with opposite sides thereof, whereby as said element follows the movement of said ram the relation of said marks with respect to said reference edge indicates the relation of the actual position of the ram with respect to the correct predetermined position.

3. The combination, in a press which includes a removable holder for a compressible charge and a pressure operated tamping element which subjects said charge to a predetermined pressure, of a gauge of the operating pressure of the tamping element and means for indicating whether, at the predetermined pressure, the volume of said charge is greater or less than that which has been predetermined to be correct, said means including an element which is movable with said tamping element to significant positions indicative of the relation of the actual volume of said compressed charge With respect to the correct predetermined volume.

4. The combination, in a press which includes a removable holder for a compressible charge and a pressure operated tamping element which sub- `iects said charge to a predetermined pressure, of a gauge of the operating pressure of the tamping element and means for indicating whether, at the predetermined pressure, the volume of said charge is greater or less than that which has been predetermined to be correct, said means including a stationary tubular housing which acts as a guide and an element in said housing which is movable lengthwise therein with said tamping element to signicant positions indicative of the relation of the volume of said compressed charge with respect to the correct predetermined volume.

FRANK C. WILSON. 

